It was predictable, even inevitable. It’s now official! This Wednesday afternoon, the Asvel club announced that it will not be able to host the Red Star of Belgrade on Thursday evening during the 4th day of the Euroleague (C1). Struck by many positive cases of Covid-19 since last weekend – eleven including three in its staff – the team is indeed not able to present eight players on the scoresheet as stipulated in the regulations of European competition.
Tuesday evening, Tony Parker’s club had already been forced to cancel at the last moment, a few hours before kick-off, the match against Panathinaikos Athens.
If the French championship (Jeep Elite) authorizes the postponement of meetings due to positive cases, the Euroleague, for its part, has so far inflicted a match lost by forfeit (20-0) in this same case. Asvel, who had already lost their first two meetings on the European stage on the floor, could therefore end up with a record of 4 setbacks, which seriously jeopardized their chances of qualifying for the finals. But the body decided on Wednesday to propose a modification of its regulations at the next shareholders’ board of directors.
“Teams not being able to count on at least eight players to play a match due to positive Covid-19 results, would see the match (s) concerned suspended and rescheduled to a later date, the release said. Existing rules (maximum of three rescheduling for a given match, deadlines for rescheduling matches, etc.) will mirror those applied to travel restriction situations. If approved, the change will apply retroactively to matches that have not been played to date for this reason, and will allow the General Manager of EuroLeague Basketball to postpone the six matches that have not been played to. a later date. “
These cancellations are obviously not without economic consequences for Asvel, which had announced a provisional budget of 11.5 million euros. A substantial budget which relied on ticketing revenue and an average audience of 3,600 spectators per match. A figure impossible to keep with sanitary measures.
Asvel, which had created controversy this weekend by letting a player positive for Covid play in Cholet for 40 seconds, is now awaiting the decision of the League health committee, which will meet this Wednesday evening, to find out if it will be able to accommodate Gravelines on Monday in a Jeep Elite.
The club with 19 French league titles is not the only one in this case in basketball Europe. In the Euroleague, St. Petersburg was unable to travel to Spain to face Vitoria and Valencia this week. In the Eurocup (C2), the Bourg-en-Bresse club, which was due to travel to the Italians in Venice on Wednesday, was also forced to forfeit after announcing that it was unable to appear with eight valid players. . A multiplication which caused the change of regulations of the Euroleague.
